Legging.



FfQF.

JAMES C. BEABJD, OF BINGI-IAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LEWIS IVI. WEED C0. INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LEGGJING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 25, 121.

pplication led. January 21, 1918. Serial No. 213,004.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES, C. BEARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leggings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garments, and more particularly to means for reinforcing the edges of such garments as leggings and gaiters and for preventing the wrinkling, buckling or bulging thereof.v

An object of this inventionis to provide such garments with reinforcing and stifi'ening means which will not inconvenience or distress the wearer, and which will comfortably and readily respond to movements of the wearer and conform to Awide variations either in the figure of the wearer or in the thickness, form and manner of folding or arranging the clothing over which such garments may be worn. 'i y Other objects are' to vprovide such garments with reinforcing or stiffening means which is adapted for use with equal facility with either lace or buckle fasteners, which is inexpensive to produce and apply, and which is durable and lighter than those heretofore known and used'.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically set forth in the' annexed -specification.

This invention is illustratedby the annexed drawing in which Figure 1 is an elevation ofa lace fastened legging embodying this invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevation ofa pair of thereinforcing or stif'tening members,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the upper end of thestructure shown Iin Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. n1, and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a buckle fastened legging embodying this invention.

Referring now in greater detail toFig.

1,-the legging or gaiter body therein shown comprises thewiap 21 which overlaps y the flap 22, and the foot fstrap l23 suitably se-y cured to theadjacent sides ofthe lower end ofsaidbody. Near the edges of saidflaps21 and 22, and extending substantially the; entire length thereof are provided the resilientv reinforcing and stiii'ening members 24 and25. Said thermore, to obtain a wide range of adapta-` bility of the legging to various wearers', and to enable the legging to comfortably conform not only to the shape ofthe legof the..

wearer and to underlying clothing, but to also readily respond to the movements of underlying muscles, it is very desirable that the stiifening members thusemployed should be Hexible in a plane parallel to the surface `of the flaps, while possessing suitable elasticity for resisting undue distortion and for restoring the garment to its normal `shape when distorting iniiuences are not present.

To these ends the members 24C and 25 are shown to be of circular cross section, but may be of other suitable cross section as, for example, square or hexagonal. The material Vof these members should be of such variety and temper as to afford a suitable degree of flexibility and resiliency, as,.for example, spring steel wire. In any event, the size, shape and material of said members should be such that they willbe adapted to act to effectively prevent wrinkling, and will-` suitably resist distortion of said flaps, while yielding to flexures both perpendicularly to and laterally of said flaps with suicient facility to enable the legging to comfortably adjust itself to wide variations in the shapes of the legs of different wearers and in the thickness and arrangement of the clothing over which such legging is worn, and to readily respond to the movements of the muscles in the leg of the wearer. y

By so forming these stiifeners as to avoid sharp corners and edges at the ends thereof, the wear upon the material of the flaps incident to use will be greatly decreased.` For 'this reason, ends of these members `are curved as shown, and for convenience and economy in manufacture, said members may be made in pairs by so bending a piece of suitable spring wire as to form an elongated U-shaped piece, the sides of which llll() form said stiffening members, the upper ends of said members being so united as to present a similarly curved'outline.

, If preferred, both ends ofthe respective members may be united and inclosedpby means of a sheet metal sheath, such as the 4 sheath 27 most :clearly shown in Fig. 3, and in any event the upper ends of the members 24 and 25 should be united, as by such a sheath.

In employing Aa sheath lsuoli as shown,

the end 28 of the member 24 is curved tovward-the adjacent end of the member 25,

to conformto a channel provided therefor in said sheath 27. Said sheath being so pressed around said curved end as to be 'firmly secured thereto, vand thereby affords such relative stability of saidl members as toltend to maintain them in a fixed plane byv preventing the rotation of said sheath with relation to the member 24. Thek 'straight end'29 ofthe member 25 is loosely confinedv by the sheath 27, so that said end 29 may slide'longitudinally in the channel provided therefor in said sheath. Were it not for the slidingmovement thus permitted, the symmetrical iexure of the members'24-and l25 in a plane parallel to the surface of the-flap would be seriously impaired. f i

' The fastening means provided for holdv"ing the flapsl 21 and 22 together comprises the vlace 30,the lower end of which is suitablyl secured to the inside of the flap 22, Vfrom `which, fastening saidv lace passes through the gromet 31, thence across said Vflaps to and through the gromet 32, thence in af position which they would assume were frockingaround the fulcrum provided by the f "the portion of the legging above the hook 34 expanded to a relatively greater extent than the portion of the legging below said hook, the portions of said members secured "to the flapsv 21a-nd 22- being curved away from one another above said hook 34 and,

fastenings 33, 34 andv35. The portions of said members below these fastenings are curved towardone another, thereby drawing the lower portion of the legging snugly around the wearer.

The hooks 34 and-37 may be secured by "means of'gromets as indicatedby Fig. 4,

yor-1' may be held in position by meansiof clenched tangs or' otherwise as desired,l 4and these hooks and the gromets 31, 32, 33, 35, 36 and 38 are applied to the material of the iiaps 21 and 22 between the stiffeners 24 and 25 secured respectively thereto. In any event it is evident that these fasteningsmay be applied with much greater convenience and more speed than if it was necessary to exactly locate them with relation to openings which might be provided therefor through the stiffening members themselves, such as have been heretofore employed in using flat strip stiffening members, and that the desired degree of stability is given these fasteners.

Referring now to Fig. 5,-the flaps 21 and 22, the foot strap 23 and the stifenmg members 24 and 25 are similar to the corresponding parts shown in Fig. 1, these flaps being fastened together by means of the adjustable buckles 41, 42 and 43, which are suitably attached to the material of said flaps between the stiffening members 24 and 25 secured respectively thereto, as by the use of suitable gromets or clenched tangs. It will thus be obvious that, when leggings have been ymade up 1n quantltles without fasteners, in accordance with this invention, any one of various types of fastening means may thereafter be conveniently applied to the material` of the fiaps between the stifening members without the necessity of punching or locating corresponding holes through the stifening members, as would be necessary to obtain a corresponding degree of stability and reinforcement if Hat strip stifleners were employed in accordance with the methods heretofore used.

In Fig. 4 the stiffening members 24 and 25 are shown in the position which they assume when not subjected to distorting inuences.

Itv is believed that the operation and use of this invention is rendered obvious to those skilled in this art by the foregoing description, and same will therefore not be herein further described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In a legging having overlapping side naps-spaced Yresilient stiflening members with suitably joined ends secured adjacent tothe edge ofthe outerone of said {iaps and extending substantially the entire length of said'flap, said members being of such form and material as to readily yield to flexure both' perpendicularly to and along a planeparallel to said Hap.

2. In "a legging having overlapping side 'flaps-spaced resilient stiiening members with-suitably joined ends secured adjacent to the edge of the outer one of said flaps and extending 'substantially the entire length of said flap, saidmembers being of such for-m and material as to readily yield rtoflexure both perpendicularly to and along a plane parallel to said Hap, and suitable uniting means for said liaps, said uniting means being secured to portions of said outer flap situated intermediate of the said members.

3. In a legging having overlapping side iaps,-an elongated U-shaped piece of spring Wire secured toone fof said aps adjacent to the edge thereof, one of the ends of said `Wire being curved toward the other of said ends, and a sheet metal member inclosing the ends of said Wire and so pressed around said curved end as to be retained in suitable relation to said ends.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 4. In a legging having overlapping side flaps-an 'elongated lJ-shaped piece of spring Wire secured to one of said aps advjacent to the edge thereof, one of the ends of said Wire being curved toward the other of said ends, and a sheet metal member so pressed around said curved end as to be firmly secured thereto and loosely confining the other end of said Wire.

In `Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this 16th day of January, A D. 1918.

JAMES C. BEARD.

ve cents each,` by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

